Lady-Guardian
by WhiteRosePlanter
Summary: A Princess and her Knight. Not quite what you're expecting, unless you were expecting not to expect something. Then it doesn't count.
1. Teaser

Welcome to the intro page of the new story! This isn't chapter one, nor is it a prologue. Instead, this is a teaser, preceded by a summary of the plot's direction, so you can know if you want to follow it or not.

A very fun story this time: Medieval AU! Weiss is our Princess-protagonist, and Ruby our well-meaning wanderer. When Weiss is attacked by assassins from the same group that killed her mother, the King hosts a tournament to see who can become the Lord-Protector over the Royal family, and the first in the House of Stewards. At the same time, Hunting in the nearby woods becomes limited to those with official permits, and a certain Huntress decides to make a career shift. How will the cards unfold? Only time will tell.

This story is going to be a collaborative effort with everyone who reviews the story. Your ideas will twist and shift the story, based on how detailed you are and how much it fits the personalities that I assign to our White-Rose Pair during this season. So, I expect only the best from my readers, as I know you have to offer.

This story is also dedicated to **JustClem**, who is leaving us soon. She inspired me beyond words, and so I wanted to make just this one story for her, though I doubt she'll ever know/read it.

Yes, I know I have too many stories to reasonably handle them all in any kind of a time frame. Well guess what? This is how I stay sane! You're gonna get good, full stories for all of them, and it's gonna take a really long time! I Love you!

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**Teaser:**

Weiss gazed down on the small field, encased in wooden fences. It was silly, this contest.

The various champions lined up just outside the farthest wall, each one waiting his turn to attempt the impossible task. A white-cloth dummy was stood up in the center of the square, wearing one of Weiss' older dresses. The goal was firstly to pass the current knight protecting the dummy, and inflict a killing blow on the dummy-princess. The second goal was to take the knight's place and defend the dummy from the other champions. Each person kept going back into the line with each loss, some getting better and lasting longer, while others got worse and were kicked from the line by the royal guards.

"This is impossibly drab, Father." Weiss complained to the man in the throne beside her.

The wan man simply grunted in a non-committal fashion.

Rolling her eyes, Weiss turned back to the tournament, dreading the outcome. Sir Vasilias was the current defender, and the current favorite. He'd been defending very well, but been taken to the line by two other knights. If the trend continued, it would come down to him and about five others who showed great skill and talent in both the defense and offense. However, it would spell doom for Weiss.

All six of the potential candidates would be the worst kind of people to spend each and every day with. Uncultured, tempted by each and every form of carnal desire, and no doubt completely lacking in any kind of manners. Not to mention, she really didn't want one of them to end up in her room, and heavens forbid her bed.

As though the universe was answering her prayer for mercy, a hush fell over the crowd as a new figure joined the back of the line. Unlike the steel armor of the others, this person wore a blood-red cloak that covered their body, with a matching hood over their head. Various weapons were strapped to their back, with two daggers visible on their forearms and two short swords at their hips, the hilts protruding from under the cloak. What was most interesting however, was the weapon outside the cloak.

A long staff of black wood, straight and perfectly carved into a circular shape, with a strange head on the top. It wasn't unlike a halberd or spear, but the crescent shape was unmistakable. This new challenger had a War Scythe. Weiss leaned forward, wondering what could be in store. Such a late entry showed an excellent mind, as well as patience. The weapon choice also spoke of diligence and tactics. Perhaps those who joined after the main crowd were more interesting to deal with.

Had the figure waited too long, they would have missed their spot to challenge. To short, and like the current knights, they'd be exhausted when the best came out to play. But oddly enough, no one else came. When the red-cloaked figure came to the head of the line, the number had only lessened, dropping ten challengers and gaining none.

When Vasilias nodded his readiness to begin, the cloak drifted forward, into the box. A pair of pale hands emerged, pulling out the war scythe and revealing only the black sleeves of a common shirt underneath. Jeers came up from the crowd, as well as from the other knights.

"Where's your armor, little boy?" One of them called, mockingly.

The words were cut short when the arm slammed the base of the weapon into the dirt, making an ominous thumping sound. Sir Vasilias readied his shield, but it was in vain. A single whistle of metal on air, and the red cloak was standing on the opposite side of the dummy, the blade now at the figure's side in an extended pose. My stand-in's head was on the ground.

All that showed the challenger had moved was the dust from the lunge, the severed shield, and a few rose petals, floating up into the air. One landed on Weiss' finger, changing from red to a pure white as it met her skin. The figure's head jerked up to stare at the Princess, a gleam of reflected metal coming from within the hood as the sewers moved in to repair the dummy.

"Most impressive." Mumbled Weiss' father.

Weiss herself was a bit apprehensive, as opposed to impressed. That look...

Before she could ponder much further, the bell was rung to let the next opponent in.

Instead of nodding, the figure in red simply turned the war scythe around, holding the weapon by its deadly blade. They stood beside the dummy and drew a wide circle around both of them. Then, with another thud, slammed the war scythe into the dirt at the head of the circle. Releasing their main weapon, the figure crouched and waited for the attacks to come. Weiss mentally added confidence to the list.


	2. The Tournament

**Welcome to chapter one. It's time to release the first chapter in the story. Remember, whoever sends in an OC I think is worth using, or sends in an idea/review that I really like, gets to choose which story has its next chapter released. Without further ado.**

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I really didn't like tournaments. They were drab, hot affairs, with little to do aside from watching two or more people bash each other to a pulp. If I had my way, I would have simply been relaxing in my study or library back at the mansion. In the cool breeze, with the sunlight across the room and a good chair to lounge in, there were few finer ways to read.

I'd just recently been given a history of the nearby desert kingdom of Tarret (though it was pronounced as Tau-rey), which included some of their mythology. I wasn't often one to read fictions and fairy tales, but theirs seemed especially sensible in various ways. However, I was not allowed my way. Instead, I was told to sit on the small cushion, and watch various people hit each other with sharp metal objects.

Now, I knew there was more to fighting than simple brute strength (my own sparring with a rapier to stay in shape had taught me that), and in this event especially there was a certain tactical element I was proud to have added, but it still was terribly boring to watch.

Perhaps I should step back a moment and explain why. I am the Princess Weiss of the Kingdom Schnee. My father is Jacques, the King. Until recently, there were four other members of the royal circle: The Lord-Protector; a man named Ozpin, The Royal Inquisitor; a lady by the name of Glynda, The Captain of the Guard; one of my only friends: Pyrrha of the Nikos province, and the resident Wizard; an elderly woman named Salem. But now, there are only two. Ozpin, and his dearest Salem both passed away in the most recent year, leaving our family without either magical protection or physical protection.

My father wasn't one who believed in magic to begin with, and so he'd removed the position of Wizard from consideration, and instead offered this tournament to find two new members of guardianship. One would be his personal bodyguard, and one would be mine. My older sister, Winter, had left on an expedition across the sea four years earlier and vanished; while my brother Whitley had abandoned our family the same year Ozpin had died to pursue his dream of becoming a Wizard with his strange partner Oscar, the farm boy who'd served Ozpin in some capacity I never learned.

To appease me, I was allowed to pick some special rules for the challenge my newest guard would have to complete to become Lord-Guardian. I had wanted to make it a challenge of the mind, or some contest of writing and reading, but I was required to add them onto the already set challenge.

The official contest to become Lord-Guardian was to defend a dummy from other challengers until no one else is willing to try. One replaces the defender by "killing" the dummy. I decided to just do away with it all together. My rules were that the defender had to hold off twelve single combatants in a row; and then three at once, twice. I then added the rule that a person could only challenge eight times.

Statistically, it'd be a miracle for anyone to gain the required number of successes. However, there were two people who seemed to have pushed themselves into that realm to improbability.

One was an old boyfriend of mine: Sir Neptune. He was fine, I supposed, but too often he was chasing skirts and never really had the time for me. After our second actual date, I realized he wasn't much more than a slight crush, and we'd parted. I wondered if he was trying to rekindle something, but more likely he just wanted to show off for someone.

The other was a scrawny knight named Sir Jaune, from France. He seemed the more likely to win this round, though the last time he'd gone against the three knights at once he'd been utterly destroyed. I suspected he wanted to get close to me, but I wasn't worried. A certain red-head I knew would have him entranced in days, if he won. If he didn't, I might have to extend that estimate to a few weeks. I knew she'd be trying to get him under her spell for certain, as Pyrrha had never stopped talking about him.

I let out a small yawn as Neptune knocked his tenth enemy out of the ring. He turned to salute me in the booth, and I rolled my eyes.

"Wouldn't it be nice if he won for you? The two of you were… close-"

"Father," I cut him off quietly, "I honestly don't care for any of the people who have tried so far. And Neptune only needs to lose once more before he is out of the running. I'm still holding out hope."

"Hope? For what?"

"A challenger."

As if the universe was answering my words or my prayer, a hush fell over the watching crowd. A crimson silhouette moved through the rows of watching citizens, gliding between shoulders and twisting to avoid hitting anyone with the strange bulges that came from within the cloak.

A pair of short swords were attached to both hips of the figure, with the hilts sticking out of the front. On their back, a strange holster was strapped over the cloak and held a strange device tight to the back. It was made of black wood, almost like a spear, but with a metal head that was shaped like a crescent moon. It was a War Scythe, not the most traditional weapon I'd seen used.

A pair of pale hands emerged from the cloak and removed the scythe from its holster, loosing the straps and dropping the harness to the ground behind the figure as they walked to the edge of the ring. They pointed the tip of the blade at Neptune before getting into a ready stance, revealing their torso was clad only in a commoner's shirt.

Jeers from the crowd came back.

"Where's your armor, little boy?"

"Can't even show his face because he's too afraid to fight."

"Don't cut 'im up too bad Neptune!"

But I didn't hear very much more than that. I was rather entranced at the person's boldness. They were going to be fighting a master spear man, and one of my… well, I supposed friend is the closest word; and they weren't showing even a hint of fear.

The figure lowered into a battle-ready stance, holding their blade close to the ground. They moved in and swiped upwards, glancing off Neptune's bracer and then swiped back down, severing his spear. They'd finished the second move almost faster than I could follow, and before Neptune could retaliate. The crowd had gone silent again.

Neptune was about to strike with the remaining half of his spear, but then they held their hand out towards him in a motion not to move. They were standing up straight again, and nodded towards my stand-in. Everyone's eyes moved to stare at the dagger protruding from the heart of the dummy. Neptune seemed about to call foul on the move, but his mouth simply hung open when the cloaked figure swung their scythe up again, and another dagger appeared in my proxy's chest. The blue-haired knight moved out of the ring to wait his turn.

The red cloak flipped their weapon around and gripped it near the blade. They retrieved their knives and then drew a circle in the sand, using the end of their war scythe's hilt to keep it an equal distance from them. Once they finished, they planted the scythe in the dirt beside the dummy. The thump from the wood entering the hard earth was ominous and seemed to indicate some kind of finality.

As the next knight moved in to attack, the figure simply drew their first sword, holding it in their left hand. They didn't move to block the knight's advance, but instead waited for the knight's foot to touch the dirt circle. The moment he stepped past the line, he was flung back into the dust, winded and with a dent in his breastplate from the pommel of the crimson cloak's sword. The message was clear: no one would get that close to the Princess without being removed.

The other knights fell in short order, until only Jaune, Neptune, and the trio of royal knights were left. I was starting to get entertained by the comical ways they were being defeated, and I raised my hand to gather everyone's attention. I raised my voice and spoke to the crowd.

"Our current contender has been rather skilled, and I grant him a place in the royal guard, should he not become the victor of the tournament. However, I wish for only the best to be my Lord-Guardian. Let two of the knights who have been attacking in the trio now attack on their own, so they may show the true skill of a Royal guard, when not worrying about others within his sword's reach. Sir Jaune? Sir Neptune? You two shall take their place in the group of three."

My words were met with cheers of agreement. The crowd was evidently excited to see what would happen when all three of the major contenders were in the ring at once.

The rearrangements were made, and while the Crimson Cloak dealt with the royal knights with both their swords, my father leaned in and whispered to me.

"An excellent suggestion, dear. Some humility from the crushing defeat will help temper this commoner's impudence and will still gain us some potential."

"No." I said shortly, smiling as the blades were sheathed again, and the War Scythe was brought from its place and into the figure's hands.

"No?"

"I suggested it so you and the knights here would see the true valley between my Protector's skills and their own. I've seen that cloak design before, and I know how much they're holding back. Hunters don't often fight in tournaments, you see, and they like to keep a level of mystique."

"A Hunter? I thought that foul practice was banned in our kingdom. Animals can be bred for food, not… scrounged from the woods."

"You did make it illegal in our forests. Which is why the bandit tribes have moved here, as they have no reason to fear those who played the roles of ranger and tracker. It is also why they are here, I would guess. They need employment, and they don't want to move simply because you don't like how they make their keep."

My father couldn't reply, because his attention was captured by the three knights moving in to attack the now re-armed Hunter. They leveled their scythe in a new pose, with the staff-portion along their waist and the blade at the middle knight. All of them spread out, making a triangle around the perimeter circle and making ready their weapons. They nodded to each other once, with Jaune a little timid, Neptune somewhat arrogantly, and the Royal Guard with confidence, before each of them moved to attack.

There was a blur of red rose petals and fluttering cape, and then all of their swords were on the ground, bisected. The attackers too were on the ground, their posteriors in the dirt, not unlike their disbelieving jaws. No one could move that fast.

One of the petals floated on the wind, and drifted up to me. I grinned and reached out with my fingernails, letting my middle finger lower a little from the rest and catch the tip of the scarlet fragment on the blue paint there. But it did not remain scarlet for long. As my nail touched its soft center, it faded into a snow white petal. Then I looked at the bottom, and realized that it was both red and white, as from an Osiria.

The hood snapped up to look at me, the face hidden in unnatural shadow as they stared. I let the petal fall to the ground, where it faded into nothingness. Curious.

The figure readied themselves again, and soon the knights were advancing again, this time with daggers and shields. It was an odd combination, but one I'd seen before. They were being cautious now. It did them little good. Jaune caught the blade of the scythe in his shield, allowing him to grab the wood. He was too strong and too heavy to break free from, so the figure didn't.

Instead, they let go and used the shield to launch themselves at Neptune, drawing a knife and brandishing it like they were going to stab him in the face. It came as no surprise when they instead kneed him in the stomach and kicked him out of the ring. Jaune meanwhile, had been knocked over, and the tip of the war scythe's blade had become stuck in his armor's side. He was unable to free himself, and simply rolled back and forth on the ground, trying to get the weight to shift so he could sit up.

The final knight was cunning, moving to attack the dummy while the others were distracted. He did not succeed. His arm moved to stab the fabric at the same time the cloak was drawing their dagger to mock-stab at Neptune. But rather than ignore the knight, the figure had been careful to cover all angles. The sleeve of the knight was caught by a final flying dagger, which whipped his arm to the side and into his hip, where he struggled to pull the blade from between two plates in his armor. He didn't have a chance to use his second dagger when he freed it. The figure had a sword to the man's throat.

My father sighed, and we stood up to descend to the field. He picked up his sword (completely honorary) and readied himself to swear in my new Lord-Guardian. By the time we reached the ground, the cloaked figure was working with Jaune to remove the blade from the shield.

"Pull harder!"

"I am pulling harder!"

"If you hurt my baby, I'll stick in somewhere else!"

"Can you give me a break? For once?"

I sighed. I had hoped a former Hunter would give me someone interesting to talk to, but this voice was that of a girl. She was probably a Huntress in training and never truly became independent. Her mind was probably still full of dresses and romance. Well, one couldn't have everything in life.

Pyrrha interceded and helped Jaune, which freed the blade. The cloaked figure returned it to their harness and turned to kneel before us, while Pyrrha looked over Jaune. He seemed quite surprised and embarrassed that the Captain of the Guard was fussing over him, of all people. I grinned and changed my estimate back to days.

"Now, my young lad. Tell me your name, so I might swear you into your position as Lord-Guardian."

The hood came down, and the crowd gasped. Beneath it was a roughly heart-shaped face, with black hair that reached the shoulders of a young girl, perhaps a year or two my junior. The tips that went past her shoulders were the same red as her cloak, with the color fading as it went back towards the scalp and vanishing altogether as it passed the ears. She was grinning with an honest smile on her lips and in her strangely metallic eyes. Silver, and gazing into the distance like she was stargazing. She appeared to be blind, yet she looked directly to my father's face, and then to mine with a pair of nods.

"Ruby Rose, your highness."

I nudged my father after a few moments of silence, which made him start slightly and clear his throat.

"Ahem, yes. Well then, Ruby Rose." He placed the tip of his sword to the top of her head and began to recite the oath.

"Do you swear to honor and defend the royal family? To spend each waking moment at the side of my daughter, Weiss, and to see that no harm comes to her?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to set aside all your worldly goals and desires, and devote yourself entirely to the protection and well-being of the Princess?"

"I do."

Do you swear to serve to the very best of your ability, and to breathe not a single breath longer than that of Weiss, so long as you serve in this position?"

"I do." Ruby raised her scythe in a salute.

"Then I name you, Ruby Rose: Lady-Guardian, Bodyguard to Princess Weiss, Leader of the Royal Battalion, Sixth in line for the Throne of Schnee, and bound by the ancient laws of loyalty."

With that, my father sheathed his sword and left. I remained, looking down on the smiling Ruby.

"Hello, Princess." She attempted a curtsy, which failed. "I seem to be at your service."

"Very well. Let's get your things and go home. We have to get you fitted with some new clothes, moved in, acquainted with the mansion and castle, familiar with the politics and your duties, not to mention find you a room near mine."

I sighed, shaking my head.

"You having to stick around me means I have to stay close to you like some little girl whenever you have to do something. So, let's make this painless and get whatever you have to take with you quickly."

Ruby patted her sides and nodded.

"Let's go home then."

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**Here we are, Chapter One. Let's see who asks for what next.**

**Yes, there is magic. Yes, Oscar and Whitley ran away together because: screw it/ship it. Winter is alive and will come back towards the end. I don't know where Willow is, so someone guess. Yang, Blake, Ren, Nora, and Roman all need roles, so I hope to see some good concepts.**

**As ever; review, comment, critique, and send in ideas and OC's you want to see implemented in the One-Shot story, another story, or the upcoming OC story.**

**Love you all, and have a great week!**


	3. Mansion-Home

**Another Chapter to aid in your relaxation and enjoyment of the quarantine. I'm sorry to say that Curse of the Soul will be on Hiatus until I have another OC to fill out the roster. But that gives me time to work here for a little bit, and on My Birthday Present: The Knight.**

**Either way, enjoy.**

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It really wasn't as difficult as Weiss told me it was going to be.

We spent a few hours at her mansion talking with servants, going over a few bits of legal information I'd memorized two years ago for… well, I'll just admit it, for an assassination job I'd been told was a theft until the last minute. It was absolutely priceless, the look on Weiss' face when I let that little tidbit drop. Luckily, I don't think she took me too seriously.

Either way, the servants were nice. The head maid, a nice girl named Blake, seemed familiar, but I couldn't place her as she pushed the pair we were talking to away. One of them was a really quiet guy, and the other was kind of hyper. Evidently they were under some kind of spell that meant they shared the same energy, so the guy was usually exhausted, while the girl was hyperactive. I'll have to get their names tomorrow.

A few more hours of touring the castle proper and Weiss' personal wing of the mansion, and we finally got around to actually doing something new. Sadly, the new thing we did was clothes.

"Perhaps this one?" Weiss asked, holding up a comfortable-looking dress.

My expression must have shown how much I disliked the idea of wearing a dress.

"Come now, Lady-Guardian, you can't go around in leggings. It's not proper, and I will not have people gossiping about you."

Her tone confused me a little. It was obviously formal, but there was a hint of actual concern she was trying to hide. Either she was trying to manipulate me and not let me know, which worked, or she was trying not to convince me and trying not to show that she actually cared a little.

So, being the reasonable person I am, I pretended not to notice and reached past her and removed a strange dress that had the skirt end just above the knees. It came with a pair of oddly thin leggings and a belt, but its arms were annoyingly full and frilled like Weiss' current dress and those of usual nobles.

"I suppose… this might be fine?"

I held it to my chest, and looked at Weiss to get her impression of how I looked. I found she was blushing slightly.

"That one's… It's fine. If that's what you want, we can get you a pair of ones like it."

"Are you sure? If you don't like it-"

"No, it's fine. It's just similar to one I like to wear."

I nodded, not understanding.

"Then we'll match."

"I suppose we will. Get changed, and meet me at your new chambers so we can finish getting you adjusted and settled-"

While Weiss talked, I used my awesome speed to change into the outfit and re-clasp my cloak around my neck, probably fast enough to break my record of four seconds.

"-in."

I pouted beneath Weiss' frown, shrugging slightly. Even though I was only about an inch shorter, she still seemed to tower over me.

"What? I need to stay close, and this seemed convenient."

"Unnatural speed or no, a lady does not undress herself in front of another unless it is her servant or her spouse. Don't ever do that in front of me again."

"Ever?"

Weiss turned away and stormed towards the door out, evidently annoyed with my comment.

"Hey, wait up!"

With that, we left the dressing rooms and headed to Weiss' apartments. They were a collection of five rooms, all inter-connected by doors and minor hallways. The first was Weiss' gigantic bedroom; with her bed, a large window, two book-cases, and a few chairs by the fireplace. The second: a medium-sized bathroom that had both a good sized-tub and the small lavatory. Oddly enough, the tub was level with the ground, so the user would have to step down into it, rather than climbing in over the lip.

The third room was a small study area, with even more bookshelves and a balcony. I wandered towards the glass doors and almost went outside, but Weiss dragged me away.

"There'll be time to relax here more often than you'll enjoy, so just focus for two more seconds."

Following that was Weiss' closet. I noticed her matching skirt outfit immediately, and pulled it down, noting that hers had a jacket for the sleeves instead of simply being a single piece like mine.

"Aw, this is cute, Princess."

It was snatched from my hands at a speed even I was hesitant to move at, and I knew not to touch it further.

The final room was like the first, but much smaller, with only a small bed, a fireplace, and a small dresser.

"I take it, this is mine?" A asked, a little unsure. Weiss corrected me, of course.

"Technically this is my chosen attendant's room, so while you may sleep here when it isn't in use, your room is technically the main bedroom."

"The main bedroom? You mean yours? But where-"

"It's assumed you'll keep watch throughout the night, rest in the chairs by the fire, perhaps sleep at the foot of my bed if I'm generous, or if there was no reason to have me married off: the Lord-Guardian has been known to share the bed of the Princess' in times long past."

"I'm guessing I'll just stick to the chairs and carpet then?"

"No, you'll be using the main bed. I prefer to sleep in this back chamber, so you can act as both guard and decoy out there, and still get a good rest. I for one, know sleep is important in a person's life."

"Oh, okay then. Um… and what if someone comes in while I'm sleeping there and you're in here? Won't that mean… questions?"

"Perhaps. I don't really care," she said, laying down and curling up on the small bed. I noticed she had a small book in her hand, with a small picture of two birds on the front. One was a red bird I didn't recognize, and the second was a Blue Jay. They were entwined by their feet, but both stood up like they were on a branch. It was very strange, but I didn't have the courage to ask her about it.

Unsure what to do, I simply sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. I had guessed the job would be a little boring, but it was better than nothing. I thought about what I would have been doing today, had a certain law not been passed earlier this year.

I would have been in the evergreens about now, with the wolves around me for comfort, and the winter snow melting in the spring heat. The birds would have started to sing again, and the open air would be gently cool and full of the clearness that follows winter. The mountain would still be empty enough to run, but with enough game that I could eat well and bring home food to the butcher's house. A few bandits would be about who I'd have to take care of, and there was always one or two capital criminals trying to escape into the forest, but they were a rarity that wouldn't bother me too often.

The thoughts of the freedom I had given up for this life of quiet and boredom seemed to squeeze my heart, and before I knew it, my head was bowed and tears were burning my eyes. I tried to wipe them away and force them back, but I didn't get to them in time. My lap was soon full of dark spots where the salty droplets had landed.

While I was trying to clear out my eyes, I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. I started slightly, and turned to see Weiss looking at me with a concerned expression. It might have been angry, but there was this tiny hint in her eyes that told me how she really felt. I shook my head and pulled my hood up.

"I-I'm fine. My apologies, Princess."

"You do know your oath means you can't lie to me, right?" She asked, a little sarcastically. I choked out a laugh, and nodded.

"Right. I guess… I guess I'm not quite as fine as I could be. If you'll give me a moment, I'll compose myself for you, Princess."

"I feel like it would be simpler for you to just tell me your problem, but if you really want, then I'll give you a moment."

"Thank you, Pri-"

"In exchange." She said, cutting me off, "You will address me properly. No more of this Princess nonsense when we aren't in formal situations. My name is Weiss, and you will call me by that name."

I nodded, my eyes starting to clear up.

"Of course, Weiss."

"Very good. Now, why don't you tell me why you were crying, so I can get back to my book? Is it because you were bored? Because you can use my books if it is."

"No, it's not that. I just… I was thinking about what I ought to be doing about this time of the year. Being a Hunter… I guess I'm just used to being a little more free."

That seemed to affect Weiss. She smiled very sadly and scooted a little closer.

"What was it like?"

"It was like being part of the forest, part of the mountain. The wind and the wolves were like old friends, and if I met a fox or an owl they'd be my companion for a bit. There would still be snow, and I'd always have to sleep carefully or else I'd wake up cold and wet. The birds will have started to sing, so they can find their mates. Every one of my senses is just filled with the forest, and I can run. I can run and run and hunt and fight all I want, and- and…"

My eyes were starting to dampen again, but I didn't cry like before when I saw Weiss staring at the window, longingly.

"I wanted that freedom… once. Back when I was only the Princess, I wanted to become a Hunter, to become free. One day, I'd like you to take me to that mountain. I can't ever have the freedom now, but… maybe I can taste it for a moment?"

Slipping my hand into Weiss' on the bed, I gave her fingers a little squeeze and her face a little smile.

"I'd like that."

I let go, stood up, and went to slip over to the door. Rather, I tried to do those things. Instead of accomplishing them, I found a very cold hand stopping me. I looked down at Weiss, realizing she didn't want me to go. So, I sat back down.

"Lady- I mean, Ruby. Could you… tell me more about being a Hunter? You don't seem to be entertained by just sitting around, so I evidently need to give you a job."

The second half of her words jumped back to her formal sort of talking, as if her facade was so constantly up that it had jumped back into place out of habit. Either way, her attitude was terribly cute.

"Quite right, Princess Weiss. But, may I ask you a favor?"

"You may."

"Once I finish, could you tell me about being a noble? Or about your books maybe?"

"I think you'll have earned that right."

"Well then, what do you want to hear about?"

After that, Weiss mask dropped and she became her more real and quietly sad self.

* * *

When we finished talking about my old life, I was starting to feel much better. It had taken several hours, and the sun was starting to set outside. Weiss had me follow her out to her main room, so we could eat while we continued talking. The servant girl brought in a small tray of food for Weiss, and then one for me, and I finally got her name: Nora.

It wasn't too fancy, as I expected, but simply some roasted chicken, done up with spices and sided with a baked potato. I was surprised when Weiss didn't call for any wine, but instead had a glass of some clear-ish liquid that might have been tinted with a very very light gold. I was given a similar glass and I looked at her curiously.

"My mother was… too fond, of spirits. As such, I have sworn off the stuff. Instead, I take fresh juices. This is made from some sailor's fruit called a lemon, and I'm rather fond of it. You may want to add some sugar though."

Weiss added two spoonfuls to her drink, while I added two, took a sip, and then added four more. Then, I tasted it for real.

"Whoa, this is amazing!"

"Isn't it? Though how you can taste its 'amazingness' through all that sugar is beyond me."

"I've grown quite fond of sugar, Miss Weiss," I said, with a hint of a tease, "Sweet things are very special to me. Sugar, cookies, baked sweets, the French Rosebud, and most especially my string partner.."

"The French Rosebud? String Partner?"

"Oh, I forgot, you haven't been out too far. Sorry. Um, in France there's this really good vine fruit that looks like a little rosebud. It's so sweet and it's just the most delicious thing! If I can, I'll get Jaune to bring us some seeds so I can grow a little garden. I think you'll like them. I wonder if we can get juice from them?

On the other edge of the map, there's this big island where people have crazy mind powers, and some travelers from there told me about their history when I was in the mountains bordering the highlands. Apparently, one of their emperors learned to see souls, and found out that everyone has little red strings between them and their soulmates. The strings are tied between their pinkies, isn't that cute?"

"Quite cute." Weiss said, smiling over her glass.

After that, we ate with less words, but with a few here and there. By the time we'd set aside out plates and trays to be taken away by Nora later, it seemed like we were ready to talk about Weiss.

"So, let's start small. What's that book I interrupted with my crying?"

Weiss pulled the book off the side table and offered it to me.

"It's the only thing that says my sister is alive."

"Princess Winter?" I asked, looking the book over and then handing it back to a very sad Weiss. Oh, I hope I didn't make her feel too bad, talking about this.

"Yes. She sailed towards England, I believe, and her ship was blown away in a storm. No one's seen her since. Supposedly she's still alive though, because this book was sent in her name."

"No letter though?"

"Uh-uh. But I'm guessing that this is some kind of clue. She wouldn't send it to me for no reason, and the to-from writing was in her hand…"

"Well, what's it about?"

"They're… Time-sailors. Two soldiers, each from a different kingdom, who sail or weave or something through time and change events so that their kingdom is more powerful. One is called Red, and she seems to be from a kingdom that uses metals and machines. The other is Blue, and her kingdom is about plants and forest things I think."

"Who wins?"

"They do, of course. Perhaps you can help me search for the clue sometime."

"As you say."

I was about to ask another question, when a knock came. When Weiss let him in, it turned out to be Nora's companion. He introduced himself as Ren, and surprisingly enough was carrying Nora around on his back. While he gathered up the dishes, I looked to Weiss for an explanation.

"When Nora's tuckered out, it's time for everyone to get to bed. We call it 'Morning, Noon, Night, and After-Nora'."

I laughed, and went towards the closet.

"Well then, let's get your nightgown out. We can talk more tomorrow."

"Afraid not. Tomorrow we have lessons."

"After lessons?" I called, removing a pale blue dress from the closet.

"Fencing practice."

"After practice?"

"Dinner."

"After dinner?"

"Quiet time for reading."

"After snuggles?"

"That'd be the end of the da-" Weiss cut herself off and then glared at me.

I simply smiled and held out her dress.

"Just seeing if you were paying attention."

"Pity." She said, in a tone I was very confused about.

I turned away to let her get changed, and sat by the fire. When she was changed, she slipped her tiara out of her hair and sat beside me. It was quiet for a moment, before she spoke.

"Are you sure you want to be here? Trapped with me in this dumb castle?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just… you could be out there, free. There are other countries, and other kingdoms…"

"I guess, but this one is my home. Better to be here with someone nice than alone somewhere else, right? I mean, the only thing that can bug us here are dumb rules I don't understand and magic spells that change our fates in funny ways."

"'Oh Petal. You say that like it's a bad thing.'"

I looked at Weiss with a confused blush, but she simply waved her hand.

"Tomorrow you can read my book from Winter. If you're any good at it, you'll know what I mean."

"If you say so."

Shrugging, I slumped back into my chair and let my mind start to drift into the state where it was resting, but still listening. I heard Weiss get up and go into her back room, and then get into her bed. I simply waited, careful to keep an ear on her as we began to pass the night through. After a few hours, I could hear her shivering under the thinner blankets.

Getting up, I pulled a quilt from the overly-large bed and dragged it over to her room. Careful not to wake Weiss, I tossed it over her and smiled as she curled up into it, squeezing a pillow tight to her chest.

"Goodnight... My Princess."

* * *

**There you are. Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I run on reviews. Seeing you all say hi and give out comments and ideas in reviews makes me so very happy. So please, tell me your thoughts so I can relax.**

**I still need ideas for Yang's appearance, and if anyone calls me out on my chapter's reference, they get to pick the next story's chapter to be released.**

**Love you all.**


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